How Much Does a Polar Bear Weigh?

My good friend Brandon uses this joke to illustrate ice breakers. The answer is ‘enough to break the ice.’ He uses this as an example of bad pickup lines. But the truth is that that there’s no such thing as an ideal icebreaker. I once started going out with a girl by telling her that she “looked ridiculous like this, without a mustache”.

This can sound silly, but it covers a few points that I would like to touch on. To work, an ice breaking line has to be unexpected, smart or funny… and appropriate: You have to remember that you want the person to feel at ease.

What should you say when you first get in touch? Use their photos or, even-better, their Facebook Likes, as a topic for a clever comment.

Don’t forget: This first impression also has to represent you. I don’t believe in making yourself look/sound different than how you actually look and talk. This could be trouble later.

It is all about starting a conversation. Just avoid the weather or other impersonal topics. There is no limit, anything can work as a conversation starter. You can even practice on random people before you send that first message to someone you’re really interested in. Talk to your new neighbor in the morning (and ask if their dog has gained weight or of it is its owner who lost some).

Talk to the person next to you in the bus. Talk to a new coworker every day.
Say a little something to the person who serves you lunch.

This will improve your personal life on multiple levels. Say something nice to someone and they will remember you. Say something funny and they will remember you. This will improve your neighborhood life, and help you gain confidence. The next level is to mix both and say something nice and funny to the person you’re after, and you’re well on your way to starting a romantic journey with them!

What’s your favorite ice-breaker? Share it in our comment section!

Claude Sullivan,
Country manager, Zoosk Marketing
Claude is a traveler, surfer and eternal romantic. French Native, he loves to cook and enjoys every minute of the life on this world.